Method of ornamenting strips of workable material and apparatus therefor



April 19, 1938. B. sPlTz 2,114,435

METHOD OF ORNAMENTING STRIPS OF WORKABLE MATERIAL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Jan. 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INYENT 4 "J W,

April 19, 1938. SPITZ 2,114,435

METHOD OF ORNAMENTING STRIPS OF WORKABLE MATERIAL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Jan. 23, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVZNTOR.

Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF ORNAIWENTING STRIPS OF WORKABLE MATERIAL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Application January 23, 1936, Serial No. 60,442

9 Claims.

My invention relates to a method of ornamenting strips of workable material and an apparatus therefor, and has for its principal object the provision of a method and apparatus whereby said strips may be ornamented quickly, easily and positively.

Strips of workable material, for the purposes of my invention, may be fiat lengths of leather, composition material, fabric or the like. For purposes of convenience, I will describe my invention as applied to a method for and apparatus for treating leather bands, such as inner hat bands, or sweat bands, although as is obvious, my invention has innumerable applications.

In the drawings annexed hereto and made a part hereof:

Figure l is a side view of one form of device constructed according to and embodying my invention, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is an end View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of a blank for an inner hat band, showing one form of the surface decorative efiect.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another blank, showing a different surface decorative effect.

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views of inner hat bands, showing different decorative effects, obtained by a rolling action produced against the leather hat band and strip foil.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the invention, 5 designates the base frame support of the machine, on which the frame head 6 is mounted, as by means of screws 1.

A main driving shaft 8 is journaled to rotate on the frame head or base portion 6, and is equipped on one end with the large pulley wheel 9, and on the other end is equipped with a roller II), which is formed with the necessary engraved surface for producing the desired decorative effects. This roller is mounted on the main shaft to turn with the shaft, and its surface is suitably hardened and provided with any desired design so that it will produce the required effects on the leather hat bands. Roller It) can be taken down from shaft 8, and replaced by another roller with a different design, as desired.

The roller I is heated by means of a circular heating unit H, which encircles the main shaft, but is keyed against rotation therewith. This unit is stationary and is supplied with electrical current through the feed wires l2. To prevent rotation of the heating unit a set screw I3 is threaded through the bearing I4 against the hub I of the unit.

A hardened and ground pressure roller I6 is arranged above the engraved roller l0 upon the driven shaft 1, which is journaled to turn in the opposing bearings l8 and |9 of the pressure head 20. This pressure head is secured to a vertical shaft 2|, which works in the vertical slide bearing 22 of the stationary head 23, carried by the horizontal arm 24 of the frame, by means of the horizontal shaft or bar 25, which is clamped in place in the split bearing or sleeve 26 of the frame head 23.

The vertical shaft 2| is equipped with a collar or nut 26a, threaded thereon, which is engaged by the coil spring 21, the upper end of which engages the collar 28 of the screw shaft 29, which is screw threaded in the stationary head 23. Lock nuts 30 and 3| are arranged on this screw and are threaded against the head 23 and against each other tohold the screw shaft 29 against accidental turning. The coil spring 21 serves to maintain pressure on the pressure roller l6 through shaft 2|.

The shaft 1 of the pressure roller I6 is equipped on one end with a clutch disc or collar 32, which has floating or differential engagement with the clutch disc or collar 33, which is mounted on the inner end of the horizontal shaft 34, which is journaled in the bearing 35, and provided on its outer end with the spur or other gear 36. This gear 36 is engaged and driven by the gear 31 on the main shaft, so that ultimately through the clutch arrangement the upper surface of the engraved roller and the lower surface of the pressure roller will turn in the same direction.

Due to the slipping action of the clutch element 32 on the clutch element 33, the shaft l1 will be under driven engagement at all times with the driving shaft 34, and may yield vertically in both directions to accommodate Variations in the thickness of the leather bands. It will be noted that there is one main drive-shaft 8, which, in turn, drives shaft 34, and through shaft 34 actuates shaft l1, the latter two shafts being driven with respect to and by shaft 8, and shaft l1 being driven with respect to and by shaft 34.

The main drive shaft 8 is also equipped with a small pulley 38 at its far end, over which is trained the flexible leather belt 39, which also engages the pulley 40 on the driven take-up shaft 4|, which carries the take-up reel 42. This take-up shaft is supported for rotation on the horizontal bearing bracket 43, which is attached to the side of the frame head 6. Cooperating clutch faces 44 and 45 are provided between the pulley 40 and these faces in frictional driving engagement with each other, so that power. will be transmitted from the main shaft to rotate take-up reel 42.

A feed table 48 is mounted on one side of the machine, and this is equipped with a pressure foot 49, which is held downwardly by means of the spring 50. Below this table the feed reel 5| is mounted to turn on the shaft 52, which is journaled on the bracket bar 43.

A strip of metal or other foil 53 is wound on the feed reel and passes over the engraved roller and under the pressure roller, and is then wound on the take-up roller or reel, passing under the stationary stripper plate 54, mounted on the opposite side of the machine.

In operation, the fiexible leather hat band to be treated is placed against the table and pushed under the pressure foot 49 and over the foil strip 53, with the finished side of the leather band placed down against the foil strip, so that the high spots of the lower or engraved roller will press portions of the foil against the leather, and due to the action of the heat transferred to the engraved roller by the stationary electrical heater unit, the detached portions of the foil will be caused to firmly adhere to the leather, the heat being necessary not only to cut out portions of the foil from the body thereof, but also to cause same to adhere firmly to the band.

Various decorative effects, as shown in Figs. 3 to '7, inclusive may be resorted to, if desired. In Fig. 3 I show a leather band 55 having parallel strips or lines 56 and a series of successive circles 51 pressed into the leather and decorated by foil, which may be of any color. In Fig. 4 I show a leather band 58 having only parallel lines 59 finished in foil, pressed into the band. In Fig. 5 I show a leather band Bil having a single and wider foil line pressed into the finished side of the leather band, indicated at 6|. In Fig. 6 I show a leather hat band having a series of successive decorative characters 62 pressed into the surface of the band 63.

All of these decorative effects make the finished hat more attractive to the customer, and also provide means for more readily identifying a hat, When the same is hung in a public place with a large number of other hats.

The process of producing the various decorative effects by rolling action developed on the leather band between a heated engraved roller and a pressure roller, permits of rapid and economical manufacture, with a minimum of skill and expense, and can be carried out with mechanism which is relatively simple once the principles of construction and operation are understood.

The process can be carried out with inner hat bands of different lengths, and in fact the length of the inner hat band in no way limits the use of the process. Hat bands can be fed to the machine, one after the other, regardless of the differences of widths, thickness, or lengths, and the ornamental effects can be produced without difficulty.

By engraving the rollers with the name of the hat manufacturer, the manufacturers imprint can be rolled upon the finished surfaces of the leather, and any other special ornamentation can be thus produced.

The capacity of the machine is limited only by the length of the foil strip, which may be several hundred feet in length, or more. By using a foil strip wider than actually required it is possible to run the foil strip so that one half of the same is used up, and then reversing the reels with reference to the machine, so that the other half of the foil strip is used up. This permits of continuous operation of the machine and process, so that a large production is obtained.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a frame, a main shaft journalled thereon, a roller on said shaft, a second shaft having a driving connection with said first shaft, and a third shaft having a driving connection with said second shaft, said third shaft having a roller thereon, and means to cause the last mentioned roller to approach and exert pressure against the roller on the main shaft.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second shafts are journalled for rotation on said frame, and the third shaft has a movable driving connection with the second shaft.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a frame, a main shaft mounted for rotation in said frame, and having a roller mounted thereon for rotation therewith, a second shaft driven by the first shaft, a vertically shiftable pressure head carried by said base, a roller carried by said head, a third shaft for said last-mentioned roller having a driving connection with the second shaft, and means for exerting pressure on said pressure head and roller.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a frame, a main shaft journalled thereon, a roller on said shaft, a second shaft driven by said first shaft, a third shaft driven by said second shaft, said third shaft having a roller thereon coacting with the roller on the main shaft, a fourth shaft and a take-up reel thereon, said fourth shaft also being driven by said main shaft.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a frame, a main shaft mounted for rotation in said frame and having a roller mounted thereon, a second shaft driven by said first shaft, a vertically shiftable pressure head, a roller carried by said head, a shaft for said roller mounted within said head, and having a vertically movable driving connection with said second shaft.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a frame, a main shaft mounted for rotation in said frame, a roller mounted on said main shaft, a second shaft driven by said main shaft, a pressure head carried by said frame, a rod slidably mounted thereon, a third shaft carried by said rod, and a roller mounted on said third shaft, movement of the rod causing corresponding movement of the rollers towards and from each other.

'7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the roller on the main shaft is fastened thereto and the rod is provided with spring means to cause the roller carried by the rod to approach and exert a resilient pressure on said first referred-to roller.

8. An apparatus for decorating strips of workable material, consisting of a frame, a main shaft journaled on the frame and equipped with an engraved roller, a stationary electrical heater unit mounted adjacent the roller, a second shaft having driving connection with the first shaft and provided with a clutch element thereon, a vertically shiftable pressure head, a pressure roller carried by said head, a shaft for said roller having a clutch element engaging the first clutch element, means for maintaining pressure on said pressure head and roller, a feed reel supported on one side of the machine, a take-up reel supported one of said rollers, and subjecting the ribbon and strip to simultaneous application of heat and a resilient pressure between the rollers, whereby the heat releasable material is deposited on and impressed into the strip in accordance with the design on the roller periphery.

BENJAMIN SPITZ. 

